Brampton, Mississauga, Caledon, other lockdown zones prioritized in COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Bramptonguardian.com
Dec. 16

The Ontario government says areas of the province under its grey "lockdown" and red "control" designations will be prioritized in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.

Hospitals and long-term-care homes in the province’s grey zones, which currently include Peel region, Toronto, York region and Windsor Essex County will be among the first to receive the vaccine after the first deliveries, according to the province.

Ontario is expecting to receive 90,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and between 35,000-85,000 doses of its Moderna counterpart once that one is approved, the province said.

“These doses will be delivered to up to 14 hospital sites in grey-lockdown and red-control zones in December and will be administered to health-care workers in hospitals, long-term-care homes, retirement homes and other congregate settings caring for seniors,” reads the province’s website, adding initial Moderna doses will be used to expand targeted vaccinations in the lockdown zones.

According to Peel Region's medical officer of Health, Dr. Lawrence Loh, of the 14 hospitals set to initially receive the vaccine next week, two are in Peel Region. The vaccine program will then expand to additional hospital sites in grey and red zones once more doses arrive in the new year.

Loh added part of the challenge with the Pfizer vaccine is storage capacity, as the doses require special deep-cold freezers to keep from spoiling. However, he said the both Peel hospitals set to receive the initial doses have either already received or will be receiving “ultra-cold freezers” from the Ministry of Health.

The province is anticipating up to 20 hospitals in the hardest hit areas receiving and administering the vaccine by the end of January 2021.

“In early 2021, additional hospital sites will begin providing the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in grey-lockdown and red-control zones. The government will continue administering the vaccine to health-care workers and, with the appropriate safety protocols, to long-term-care home and retirement home residents,” added the province’s site.

Peel Region has been particularly hard hit by COVID-19, especially in Brampton where officials are pointing to a disproportionately large population of essential workers as one of the main reasons behind the region’s high case count.

As of Dec. 15, Peel Health had confirmed 33,437 cases and 415 deaths in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon combined with 30,290 recovered cases. According to stats on the region’s website, Peel averaged 442 cases per day between Dec. 8-14.

Brampton has accounted for 21,063 cases -- or 63 per cent -- of the region’s total cases since the start of the pandemic in March.

The provincial government has not yet provided further estimates or timelines for areas outside the current grey and red zones or when the general population will have access to them, but Loh confirmed there are at least two more vaccines beyond the previously mentioned Pfizer and Moderna version currently under review and on the horizon.

“There were four (vaccines) that were under review. Pfizer’s review completed first but certainly the AstraZeneca vaccine, the Moderna vaccine and there is a Johnson and Johnson vaccine. All of those are currently under review by Health Canada,” Loh said.